RBS announces interim chief financial officer as Ewen Stevenson prepares to depart August 17, 2018 The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) said today it is to appoint deputy chief financial officer Katie Murray as interim CFO in October, replacing outgoing CFO Ewen Stevenson, who is set to join HSBC. Stevenson will step down after four years in the role on 30 September and will be placed on gardening leave until the end of November. Stevenson [...]
Turf war: Law firm bosses see Big Four as ‘threat’ as they aggressively expand into legal sector | City A.M. August 8, 2018 The City’s top law firms are keeping a wary eye on the Big Four accountancy giants as the beancounters expand into the $600bn (£465bn) global legal services market. Managing partner of City law firm Fieldfisher Michael Chissick said: “They have very ambitious plans, that isn’t in doubt, audit is in decline and it is low [...]
London’s audit giants are muscling in on law firms August 8, 2018 The City's top law firms are keeping a wary eye on the Big Four accountancy giants as the beancounters expand into the $600bn (£465bn) global legal services market. Managing partner of City law firm Fieldfisher Michael Chissick said: “They have very ambitious plans, that isn’t in doubt, audit is in decline and it is low [...]
Financial Conduct Authority launches ‘global fintech sandbox’ August 7, 2018 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has joined financial regulators from around the world to create a new global network to boost fintech innovation. The Global Finance Innovation Network (GFIN) will aim to provide a more efficient method for innovative fintech firms to interact with regulators. The City watchdog has launched a consultation on the main [...]
MPs call for social media tax to cover costs of data misuse following fake news inquiry | City A.M. July 28, 2018 MPs have called on social media companies such as Facebook to be taxed to cover the costs of investigating incidences of data misuse, a leaked report has revealed. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee has been investigating the phenomenon of fake news spread through social media following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which [...]
‘Thinking Fast and Slow’: Two big lessons for investors July 27, 2018 On The Value Perspective blog, we aim to extol the merits of value investing, the art of buying shares that are unloved by the market for no good reason. The summer holidays – and this guest column on City AM – offer an opportunity for us to highlight investing books that can help keen students [...]
Government aims for full fibre broadband coverage across UK by 2033 | City A.M. July 23, 2018 The government has outlined its ambition to bring full fibre to the entire of the UK by 2033 as it released its Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (FTIR). The Department for Culture, Media and Sport also said it would be pushing to make super fast full fibre broadband installed as standard in new properties. Part of [...]
How might a trade war play out? July 19, 2018 The Trump team appears to see trade wars as a central policy rather than a bargaining strategy. With the possible advent of further tariffs on European and Chinese exports, we look at the potential consequences such as higher inflation and lower growth. The impact on interest rates and currencies While the US has begun to [...]
Consumers rail against ‘criminal’ switching fees as watchdog floats ban July 16, 2018 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said today that it would seek to reform the £500bn investment platform sector to improve competition and better protect consumers. The City watchdog published interim findings from its study of investment platforms today and proposed a “package of measures” to protect consumers which could include the banning of exit fees [...]
Chinese bid for Northern Aerospace fails amid security fears July 9, 2018 Chinese takeover attempts to buy a British defence company have fallen through, according to UK private equity firm Better Capital. Approval has not been given for aircraft parts maker Northern Aerospace to be purchased by Derby-based Gardner Aerospace, a subsidiary of Chinese aerospace and mining firm Shaanxi Ligeance Mineral Resources. Read more: Aerospace sector revises [...]